Efficacy of virtual reality and augmented reality in anatomy education: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Anatomy is the cornerstone of medical education. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are becoming increasingly popular in the development of anatomy education. Various studies have evaluated VR and AR in anatomy education. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of VR and AR in anatomical education. The protocol was registered in Prospero. Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. From the 4487 articles gathered, 24 randomized controlled trials were finally selected according to inclusion criteria. According to the results of the meta-analysis, VR had a moderate and significant effect on the improvement of knowledge scores in comparison with other methods (standardized mean difference = 0.58; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.95; p < 0.01). Due to the high degree of heterogeneity (I2 = 87.44%), subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed on eight variables. In enhancing the "attitude," VR was found to be more "useful" than other methods (p = 0.01); however, no significant difference was found for "enjoyable" and "easy to use" statements. Compared with other methods, the effect of AR on knowledge scores was non-significant (SMD = -0.02; 95% CI = -0.39, 0.34; p = 0.90); also, in subgroup analyses and meta-regression, the results were non-significant. The results indicate that, unlike AR, VR could be used as an effective tool for teaching anatomy in medical education. Given the observed heterogeneity across the included studies, further research is warranted to identify those variables that may impact the efficacy of VR and AR in anatomy education.

Pharmacy students’ readiness and preparedness to contribute during disasters: a cross-sectional two institutional study from the UAE

Background: Pharmacists involvement in disaster management has been acknowledged in the literature for their involvement in various clinical and non-clinical services. Future pharmacists are expected to be skill full in handling medicine disasters. This study aimed at investigating the knowledge, attitude, and readiness of pharmacy students to contribute to disasters in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in two pharmacy colleges in the UAE using a pre-validated electronic questionnaire. Data were collected using simple random sampling from February 2021 to November 2021. The questionnaire consisted of five sections: demographic information, knowledge, attitude, and readiness to practice with perceived barriers. The Likert data were not normally distributed (Shapiro-Wilk test, p<0.05) and hence analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test at alpha=0.05. Results: A total of 258 pharmacy students were surveyed. The majority were fourth-year students (51.2%, n = 132) with a mean (SD) age of 20.46 [2.35] years. The average score for total knowledge was 155.3 (60.2%), with no statistical differences between groups. The median interquartile range (IQR) scores for total attitude, total readiness to practice, and barriers to disaster medicine were 4. Conclusions: Students exhibited varying levels of knowledge and expressed a positive attitude and willingness to practice disaster medicine. Inclusion of various educational modules in pharmacy curricula could help to better prepare students for the practice of disaster medicine. (AU)

Intolerance of uncertainty and attitudes towards persons living with disabilities in medical students: Is there a correlation?

Introduction: Patients living with a disability experience an illness trajectory that may be uncertain. While navigating clinical uncertainty has been well-researched, health professionals' intolerance of uncertainty for patients living with disabilities has yet to be explored. We examined the relationship between medical students' intolerance of uncertainty with their attitudes towards people living with disabilities to better inform curricular efforts. Methods: We employed a survey-based design consisting of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) and Disability Attitudes in Healthcare (DAHC) Scale to medical students upon completion of core clerkships (end of third-year of training). Data were de-identified. Mean DAHC and IUS scores were compared with published values via t-test. Linear regression was used to examine IUS/DAHC scores for anonymized students. Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to assess correlation between IUS and DAHC scores. Results: Response rate was 97% (268/275 students). Mean IUS score did not differ from previously cited medical student scores, but mean DAHC score was significantly higher than previously cited scores. We observed a statistically-significant relationship between IUS and DAHC scores. Students with greater intolerance of uncertainty had lower scores for disability attitudes [F(1,243) = 8.05, value of p < 0.01], with an R 2-value of 0.032, suggesting that 3% of DAHC score variance can be explained by IUS score changes. Conclusion: We identified a weak negative correlation between IUS and DAHC scores in medical students. Further research is needed to clarify findings and identify best practices that equip trainees with skills to care for patients with uncertain illness trajectories and patients living with disabilities.

Designing Maker initiatives for educational inclusion.

The "Maker" movement is a cultural as well as educational phenomenon that has the potential to offer significant opportunities to students in conditions of social, economic and cultural disadvantage. The research reported in this paper, however, suggests that the simple provision of "Maker Spaces" for such activity is simplistic and not sufficient to realise this potential. The research involved a mixed methods study of a cohort of year 7 students (n = 26) in an Australian school located in a socio-economically disadvantaged outer-metropolitan region. The cohort undertook a range of Maker activities at a new "creativity centre" built at the school. Results indicate that the activities had positive impact on student attitudes towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) overall, but that the impact was highly specific across attitudinal constructs. A strong ranging effect was also evident, suggesting that the impact of the experience was highly dependent on students' initial attitudes. Reflecting on these results, the paper also offers a reference framework that may help keep equity in mind when designing different kinds of Maker experience.

University students dataset related to achievement, classroom practices, perceptions and attitudes of multimedia-based learning quantum physics.

This dataset presents data collected to assess teaching and learning of quantum physics at the University of Rwanda - College of Education (UR-CE), Rwanda. Data were collected between August and November 2019 as the baseline, and between January and April 2022 under a quasi-experimental design. Three sets of data were collected. The first set was about students' performance and conceptual understanding collected before and after teaching intervention (lecture method or multimedia-aided approach) using mainly Quantum Physics Conceptual Survey (QPCS). The second set documented classroom practices during teaching and learning using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS). The last set is comprised of the data related to lecturers' and students' perceptions before teaching and learning quantum physics and students' attitudes after learning Quantum physics. The Quantum Physics Attitude Test (QPAT) was mainly used to collect these data. The dataset is important to education stakeholders because university managers can visualize the status of teaching and learning outcomes, lecturers can reflect on the study, and researchers can use the data to analyze various independent variables.

Attitudes Of Recently Admitted Undergraduate Medical Students Towards Learning Communication-Skills: A Cross-Sectional Study From Chitwan Medical College.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The success story of a modern-day physician centers substantially on the knowledge of proper communication-skills with patients and their bedside relatives. Therefore, it has become extremely important to start a communication-skills course early on in undergraduate medical study, but to date, this has been given relatively little or no emphasis. In the present study, an attempt was made to assess the attitude of undergraduate medical newbies towards learning communication-skills, and the association between attitude and various student characteristics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 99 recently admitted undergraduate medical students at Chitwan Medical College were included in the study, and their attitude towards communication-skills training was measured using the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS). RESULTS: A positive learning attitude was found in over 50% of participants. The idea of a requirement of communication-skills curriculum was associated with a positive learning attitude. Gender, age, and past educational institute were not associated with communication skills learning attitude. CONCLUSION: This study provides perceptions of newly admitted undergraduate medical students towards communication-skills learning. We suggest the integration of communication-skills curriculum into the undergraduate medical syllabus, with an acceptable, focused, and interesting teaching module.

Health science students' attitudes towards healthcare teams: A comparison between two universities.

There have been few studies comparing the attitudes towards healthcare teams between different universities. This study analysed the differences in attitudes towards healthcare teams between health science students at Gunma University, Japan, which implements a comprehensive interprofessional education (IPE) programme, and Kanazawa University, a similar national university. Study populations were first- and third-year students at the Gunma University School of Health Sciences and the Kanazawa University School of Health Sciences. The present study was performed just after the IPE and multi-professional education subjects at Gunma University in the first term of the 2012 academic year. The first-year students were different cohort from the third-year students. The modified Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) was used to measure attitudes towards healthcare teams. The overall mean score on the modified ATHCTS of students at Gunma University was significantly higher than that of those at Kanazawa University. In both first- and third-year students, the regression factor score of "patient-centred care" was significantly higher at Gunma University than at Kanazawa University. Based on the present study, it can be stated that IPE may foster the value of collaborative practice (CP) among health science students.

Effectiveness of waste prevention program in primary students' schools.

Even though reducing waste is at the top of the waste hierarchy, no real decoupling between waste generation and consumption has been demonstrated. Several waste directives had been published from EU, but they have only brought minor changes within the key objective of reducing waste generation. Most efforts have been targeted towards greater amounts of recycling and better management of waste disposal. While these are necessary and socially beneficial goals, they are not adequate for the achievement of long-term sustainability goals. The purpose of this study is to understand students' knowledge, attitudes and behavioural changes in relation to the water plastic bottle of 500 ml. Understanding waste prevention behaviour (WPB) could enable schools' principals, local authorities and committees as well as decision makers to design and implement more effective policies for reducing the amount of specific waste streams that is generated. Students in a daily base bring their own water containers of 500 ml or buy water from the school as they do not feel safe to use other sources of water. Nine hundred ninety-eight refilling stainless steel water refilling bottles (SSWRB-of 600 ml) were shared to the students in four primary schools. The results indicated that the students are presented with different behaviours from class to class for many reasons; most of them are related with what their parents believe, and how themselves or the synergies between them reacts and affected.

A critical review of flipped classroom challenges in K-12 education: possible solutions and recommendations for future research.

An increasing number of teachers are using flipped classroom approach in their teaching. This instructional approach combines video-based learning outside the classroom and interactive group learning activities inside the classroom. The purpose of the present review is to provide an overview of flipped classroom studies in K-12 education. Particularly, we put emphasis on revealing and addressing the potential challenges of flipped classroom approach. Fifteen journal publications of K-12 flipped classrooms were analyzed in terms of their flipped learning activities, student achievement, student attitude, and challenges encountered. The results suggested that a variety of pre-class (e.g., online exercises) and in-class (e.g., brief review, individual practices) activities were provided in addition to instructional videos and small-group activities respectively. The use of flipped classroom approach in K-12 education yielded a neutral or positive impact on student achievement when compared to traditional classroom. Mixed results of student attitude toward flipped classroom approach were discovered. Challenges of implementing flipped classrooms were identified and categorized into student-related challenges, faculty challenges, and operational challenges. Based on the suggestions of previous studies together with relevant empirical supports, we propose a rudimentary flipped classroom model and a set of 10 guidelines to address these challenges. Finally, several recommendations of future research are provided.

Use of an Online Game to Evaluate Health Professions Students' Attitudes toward People in Poverty.

Objective. To determine baseline attitudes of pharmacy, physician assistant studies, and communication science and disorders students toward people in poverty and to examine the effectiveness of using the online poverty simulation game SPENT to affect these attitudes. Methods. Students completed pre/postassessments using the validated Undergraduate Perceptions of Poverty Tracking Survey (UPPTS). Students played the online, open access, SPENT game alone and/or in pairs in a 50-minute class. Results. Significant improvements in scale scores were seen in students after playing SPENT. Quartile results by prescore indicated that students with the lowest attitudes towards patients in poverty improved the most. Results suggested that most students found the experience worthwhile for themselves and/or for their classmates. Conclusions. The results of this study suggest SPENT may improve perspectives of undergraduate pharmacy and other health professions students.

Problem-based learning for radiological technologists: a comparison of student attitudes toward plain radiography.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge and skill expected of healthcare providers continues to increase alongside developments in medicine and healthcare. Problem-based learning (PBL) is therefore increasingly necessary in training courses for radiological technologists. However, it is necessary to evaluate the effects of PBL to completely introduce it in our education programs. As a Hypothesis, it seems that a change occurs in the student's attitudes by participating in PBL practical training. There is the Semantic Differential (SeD) technique as a method to identify student's attitudes. We conceived that PBL could be appropriately evaluated by using SeD technique. In this paper, we evaluated PBL for plain radiography practical training using the SeD technique. METHODS: Thirty-eight third-year students studying radiological technology participated. PBL was introduced to practical training in plain radiography positioning techniques. Five sessions lasting 5 h each were delivered over a 5-week period during November to December 2012. The clinical scenario was an emergency case with multiple trauma requiring plain radiography. Groups comprising approximately eight students created workflows for trauma radiography with consideration of diagnostic accuracy and patient safety. Furthermore, students groups conducted plain radiography on a patient phantom according to created workflows and were then guided by feedback from professional radiologists. All students answered SeD questionnaires to assess views on plain radiography before instruction to provide preliminary practical training reports and after completing practical training. RESULTS: The factors were identified using factor analysis of the questionnaires, which were answered before and after each practical training session. On evaluation of the relationships between factors and question items according to factor loading, we identified "reluctance", "confidence", and "exhaustion" as the predominant attitudes before practical training. Similarly, we identified "expectation", "self-efficacy", and "realness" as the predominant attitudes after practical training. The attitudes toward plain radiography changed before and after PBL practical training. CONCLUSIONS: The attitude of self-efficacy was noted after practical training, which incorporated PBL. Student self-efficacy was thought to increase through self-directed learning, which is one of the aims of PBL. Although the influences of other lectures and training, which were performed in parallel with the PBL practice training, were not completely excluded, and although the number of study participants was small, we were able to confirm the effects of PBL.

Efficacy and perceived utility of podcasts as a supplementary teaching aid among first-year dental students.

BACKGROUND: The advent of newer technology and students' growing familiarity with it has enabled information providers to introduce newer teaching methods such as audio podcasting in education. Inclusion of audio podcasts as a teaching aid for undergraduate medical or dental students could serve as a useful supplement to make reviewing more convenient and to enhance understanding and recall of the subject matter. AIMS: To assess the efficacy of podcasts as a supplementary teaching and learning aid for first-year dental students of Manipal.To study students' attitudes towards audio podcasts and perceived utility of podcasts. METHOD: This study was conducted at the Manipal College of Dental Sciences, India. The participants were first-year dental students. Live lecture classes were conducted for the students (n=80). The students were then divided randomly into two equal groups of 40 each. Group 1 students (n=40) had a study session followed by a multiple choice question (MCQ) test. This was followed by a podcasting session. Group 2 students had a study session along with an opportunity to listen to a podcast, followed by the test. Following this both groups completed a feedback form intended to assess their perceived utility and attitude towards podcasts. The performance score was analysed using SPSS and an independent sample t test was used to test the significance of differences in the mean score between the two groups. RESULTS: Our analysis revealed a significant difference (p = 0.000) in the mean score between the two groups. Group 1 scored a mean of 7.95 out of 13 and group 2 scored a mean of 6.05 out of 13. Analysis of the feedback forms showed that 91.3 per cent of the students found the podcasts useful, as they could listen to lecture content repeatedly and at their own convenience. Sixty-three per cent of the students, however, felt that the absence of images and diagrams in podcasts was a disadvantage. CONCLUSION: Students benefited when podcasts were used to supplement live lectures and textbook content. This was indicated by better student performance in the podcast group. Also, students showed a favourable attitude for podcasts being used as a supplementary teaching and learning aid.